Sierra Club BC Comments on Mount Polley Disaster

VICTORIA – Sierra Club BC issued the following statement from Forest and Climate Campaigner, Jens Wieting, in response to the massive tailings pond breach at Mount Polley mine:

“We are very concerned about the effects of water contamination for native and non-native communities in the Cariboo, for salmon populations and the whole web of life in the region. The B.C. government must undertake everything possible to contain the disaster and reduce its effects. We expect a full investigation to identify the responsibilities and failures that lead to this disaster.

“There have been reports of serious early warnings about disaster brewing at Mount Polley mine. This crisis should never have been allowed to happen and highlights systematic failures of B.C.’s environmental laws and standards, monitoring and enforcement protocols, as well as crisis-readiness.

“This disaster is a wake up for British Columbia. Imperial Metals, the same company responsible for the Mount Polley disaster, is also pursuing a copper mine and a gold mine project in Clayoquot Sound on Vancouver Island, against wide-spread opposition. We must not allow the profound risks of mining projects of this type in ecologically-sensitive areas.”